I Should Tell You
by Coconutters
Summary: Rachel's dads are building a new house and she comes home from her second year of college in New York to help them move during her spring break. But, there's another reason why she's home, one much more life changing. Rated M for...adult content.
1. I'm Disaster

**Title:** I Should Tell You  
><strong>Rating: <strong>T (just to be safe)  
><strong>Pairings:<strong> Will/Rachel  
><strong>Spoilers: <strong>Current through episode 3x14  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything relating to Glee, because if I did Finchel would be no more.  
><strong>Summary<strong>**:** Rachel's dads are building a new house and she comes home from her second year of college in New York to help them move during her spring break But there's another reason why she's home, one much more life changing.

**Saturday, March 14th 2015**

"Yes, Daddy. I know it's getting bad outside but I'll be home soon. I just have to pick up a few things here and I'll be back home." Rachel put her car in park as she fluffed her hair in the car mirror and said her goodbyes to her father, Hiram, on her cell phone.

She looked outside at the pouring rain and decided she should make a run for it instead of waiting it out in her car. It was warm out, and if it wasn't for the fact that Rachel had straightened her hair that morning she wouldn't have minded getting wet. The rain was cleansing, gently hitting against her exposed skin as she ran up to the automatic doors of the local 'Mom and Pop' store she used to frequent when she lived in Lima.

That has almost been two years ago. She hasn't been home since she left, taking summer classes to get through school faster. Rachel's life was stressful for many reasons, she worked a forty hour week, took eighteen credit hours and had landed a role in the Spring play _The Trial of God _as Hanna. It was a difficult role to play; she had to go to some very dark places and thank God she had an understanding directer who worked with her in her personal life and the issues that lie there. Life, although fulfilling and happy, was stressful for more reason then listed previously.

Her hair, how considerably wet, was already beginning to curl into her natural waves. She touched up her eyes as best she could and grabbed a green basket from the entrance. A loud thunder clap sounded as Rachel fished inside her tiny purse for her list and she flinched at the sound that vibrated from her feet to the tip of her nose. She only had five items on her list: whole milk, carrots, organic cake mix, almonds, and juice. This made Rachel feel slightly at ease at the fact it would take all of five minutes to grab these items and get out, if she hurried.

The petite starlet was looking at the back of two cake mixes, comparing ingredients and nutritional values when a familiar voice cut through her like an unexpected storm.

"Rachel?" She froze in place, feeling her fingertips become cold. "Rachel! What are you doing home?" She turned and took him in. Yes, he was just as she remembered but she didn't recognize this particular sweater.

"Hello, Mr. Schuester. How are you?" She said coolly, not making eye contact.

He smirked, "You're _really _going to call me that? I prefer Will."

She sighed, unsure how to answer, knowing the hidden meaning behind the preference.

*Flashback*

Rachel couldn't believe she was here on tonight of all nights, standing in front of her former teacher's apartment door that he shared with the all too prying Ms. Pillsbury. But she didn't know who else to go to, didn't know who else could help her by giving the advice she needed, so she knocked on his door. She had done this many times since she had joined Glee Club but somehow this time felt different, this time felt new.

"Rachel, hi. I-I didn't expect to see you. Aren't you leaving tomorrow for NYATA?" He let her in, she knew he would, he always did.

She peered around for Will's fiancé but didn't see any sign of her, "Yes, I leave tomorrow. I'm sorry, I should have called; is this a bad time?"

Will took her yellow cardigan and hung it up behind the door. "Not at all. I was actually getting bored. Emma, she's at her parent's house. Her mother and father have the flu and she went over to clean and take care of them. She'll be back tomorrow. So, what can I help you with?"

She lead them to the couch she had sat on more times than any of the other Glee Clubbers combined and began her plight. "I don't know why I came here..."

Will sat down next to her, closer than the last time she was here over three months ago. "You never know why you come here but you always do. Is it Finn?"

She gave a sad half smile, "Yes, you know me all too well, Mr. Schuester."

"You know, you _can _call me Will now. Ha, but you know that. You called me Will even when you weren't supposed to," he nudged her gently.

"I'm sorry, " she smiled and rolled her eyes playfully. "I was so used to being around you all the time. We were always rehearsing for one competition after another and our meetings always seemed to run over in time. I always counted you more as a friend than just my teacher."

"I felt the same way. We really did have a good time together. You could always keep up with my _Singing in the Rain _references and you never complained when coffee was split or I ate unwashed fruit." His hand darted out to his mug full of the liquid and drummed his fingers on the porcelain.

"And _you_ never broke my nose when we danced and you always understood when I needed space." Her body turned to face him and soon, he mirrored her and leaned in.

He spoke in a hushed tone, "You never pulled away when I touched you without warning."

Rachel took the mug in his hands from him and placed it back on the table, never breaking eye contact. "You never made me feel like I was second best."

"You always made me feel like I was wanted, like no one could ever replace me." Will took her hands in his and made small circles with his thumbs as flashes of Carl and Emma went through his mind mingled with Rachel coming to tell him about the substitute in hopes he would return before she was given the position permanently.

"No one could ever replace you, Will." Their faces were inches apart and all Will could think about was how sincere she looked and how much he wanted to feel her full lips on his.

"And you'll never be second best, it was always you, Rach." Then, Will closed the distance between them and lightly pressed his lips to hers. Rachel leaned into him and gave in to something she didn't know she wanted-what she always knew she wanted. Will's lips felt amazing on hers, there was so much electricity surging through her she was surprised that she wasn't being shocked.

The kiss grew intense and soon Rachel was lying on her back with Will above her, his hands everywhere. She was so thankful she had worn a dress that day for Will's fingers were now teasing the fabric of her panties. Her whole body was on fire and Rachel knew that Will felt just as hot as she did. She quickly popped off the buttons on his shirt and threw it to the floor. Her shoulders and chest began to lift, trying to sit up so she could be on top as she was with Finn ninety percent of the time but Will roughly pushed her down and shook his head.

Her eyes lit up and she smiled as she tried to get up again knowing she would be pushed back down into the soft cushions of the couch. She was not wrong. After her back was against the pillows Will grabbed her hips and jerked them further down on the couch. She purred his name into his ear as he bit down on her neck, hard and she knew there would be a mark there tomorrow. She had never seen him like this, so in control and passionate. She wondered if he was like this with Emma but then she remembered that Emma still held onto her virginity like a life vest; but Rachel was no longer a virgin and she was more than willing to see where this goes, even if it meant that the end goal was Will buried deep inside her-especially if the end goal was Will buried deep inside her. The thought that may happen in the _very_ near future made Rachel moan again.

"Do you have any idea what you do to me?" Will said as he finally stopped the teasing and slipped two fingers inside of her. She shrieked in delight at the intrusion and shook her head ferociously from side to side.

"I've wanted to touch you like this for so long, Rach. You were always so different than the others, so much _more_ than they could ever imagine to be." He pushed up with his fingers as she arched her back.

He kissed her neck where he had bit her earlier, "You're so beautiful, so sexy..." Rachel had heard enough. While Will's fingers were still working unbelievable magic at her core her hands flew to his belt and unbuckled it.

"Will, please," she pleaded as she worked his jeans off his toned hips.

His fingers hooked under the strap on her left shoulder and pulled it down, "Please what, baby?" Pulling his hand out from her panties he tangled his hand in her hair at the back of her head and gently tugged her head up off the pillows. When there was no response but loud pants he kissed her again, this time with more urgency and need. It drove all thought from Rachel's mind and all she could think of was how Will was pulling off her dress, how Will's lips felt against her bare skin as he kissed his way down to her breast and how Will was surrounding her, everything about him was surrounding her. His arms, his body, his hands, his scent; everything in her world right now was Will and the only coherent thought was how amazing it felt to be touched by him.

They were left in nothing but their undergarments and the two stopped for a moment and looked at each other. A small moment of clarity passed over them, they were not with their respective others, they were with each other enthralled in something so passionate they thought they would burst if they didn't soon get release. Everything from that point on went fast. Black lace was tossed somewhere that neither one knew along with checkered boxers. Rachel had opened her legs to him, inviting him in where he most desired to be.

He leaned down and laid on top of her, letting their skin brush against each other and both felt how heated each others' skin was. Will cupped her face and searched her eyes, looking for some validation that it was okay to be doing this. And it was, it was very okay with Rachel. She reached down between them as Will bit her lower lip and guided him to her entrance. Both gasped at the contact of slick flesh as Rachel rubbed his thick cock up and down her tiny slit. Will buried his face in her shoulder and shoved inside her roughly. Rachel couldn't believe how amazing he felt as he slowly backed out of her, leaving in only the tip and slamming back into her, filling her completely. They both moaned each others' names as Will pumped into her again and again.

Rachel tried to get up again but was greeted by a forceful push down and a faster and harder tempo. Her hands clutched at the fabric on the couch as Will continued to tear into her. It hurt a little, but she liked it, a lot. Finn was always so cautious to not hurt her and she grew frustrated easily with him but Will- Will was more than happy to give in to her coaxing of "harder," and "deeper." She felt her legs being lifted as one came to rest on either side of his shoulders. She had never been taken like his and screamed out in pleasure as she felt him hit her spot over and over until she could feel the build that she had only experienced twice during sex.

She grabbed at him and dragged him down so she could kiss him, making him drive himself deeper and Rachel finally lost it crying out against his slightly opened mouth against hers but he didn't stop. Even after she came down he kept going, kept pounding into her. Will grabbed onto her shoulders to give him more control of her while slightly adjusting his angle and soon she could feel herself getting close again and she knew Will must be getting close by the slight break in rhythm and the way he was unconsciously dropping explicits.

She made eye contact with him as she began to come undone, "Will, please. Don't, stop," she begged. He didn't, he took her to heaven for the second time and let himself go, shooting hot shots of himself deep inside her as he slammed into her one last time. Will let down her legs, slowly, and laid on top of her and kissed her chest, her eyes, anything his lips could reach. Rachel stayed the night that night, and stayed in his bed all night while they explored each other further. It was one of Rachel's favorite memories and also one that stared her in the face everyday.

*End of Flashback*

"Rachel? Are you alright?" Will asked as he took the boxes from her hand.

"What? Yes. Yes, I'm fine. I just-I haven't seen you in a long time. A lot has changed." She took the boxes back, he may have called the shots last time they saw each other but he's not going to now.

"Yes, a lot has. But, anyways so how are you? I heard you have a very busy life. How's Finn?" Rachel put back the blue cake mix box and put the green one in her basket.

"I don't know how Finn is. After he moved to New York with me things weren't working. We broke up the first semester I was there. I haven't really heard much from him since." She looked up into his hazel eyes and momentarily got lost within them.

"I'm sorry to hear that. what caused the break up?" Moving down the aisle to the peanuts she switched the basket into her right hand.

"A lot of reasons, but namely the fact that I cheated on him." Rachel, looking at the various nuts in front of her seemingly ignoring his presence, yanked up a bag of almonds and tossed it in her bag.

Will stopped walking towards her a few feet away. "Oh. I-I'm sorry I aided in ending your engagement."

She moved again, and he followed. "I owe you so much for that, more than you know. I can't imagine my life without that night happening or a life with Finn in it for that matter." Just then her mocha eyes darted to his left hand. No ring. "And that about you? I see you're not married."

"No, I'm not," he said almost smiling.

"Well, what happened?" She felt a chill run through her as another thunder clap echoed through the store and large lightening bolt streaked the sky.

"Same as you. A lot of things. That morning she came home and was in one of her moods where she cleans everything. We got into it and I brought up kids and she finally admitted that her disease may not allow her to handle having them. It devastated me, but then she sat down on the couch and noticed the cushions were out of place." A hand ran through his hair as they walked, approaching the juice aisle. "So, she adjusted them as we continued arguing then she found a pair of lace panties that didn't belong to her."

An unmanicured hand flew to Rachel's mouth, "Oh my gosh! What happened?"

"Well, first she had to bleach her hand then she yelled at me and then she threw her ring at me and then she stormed out. I was going to end it anyways, I can't be with someone who doesn't want kids...Why are we looking at Capi Suns and Juicy Juice?"

"Because it's on my list. So, I guess we owe each other a huge thank you. We saved each other from people we didn't belong with. Did she ever find out it was me?" She picked up an all natural liter of grape juice and set it in her basket as they walked to the end of the aisle near the employee entrance.

Will laughed at the site of Emma's face if she knew it was Rachel Berry's panties she found that day. "No, no I think if she knew it was you she'd try to get me fired. Too bad she'd never have succeeded, what we did was completely legal." They had stopped walking and Will turned to face her.

"True, it's not like what we did was the end of the world." Just then another earth shattering boom sounded and there was a loud pop as everything went black. There were screams coming from the other customers and Will and Rachel heard hard, quickened footsteps coming from all directions. A large man called out over everyone to stay calm just as another crash of thunder descended from the pea green sky. Lightening immediately followed as the whole store lit up like a firework had just gone off within the store.

"Will..." Rachel shouted over the crowd the others around them rushed to the automatics doors, trying to pry them open. Rachel started toward the direction of everyone else and Will grabbed her hand, making her stay by his side. "Don't," was all he said as the pair stood still in the hysteria that had broken out.

"I have to call home, I have to check on-" Will's grip tightened as they saw it, coming straight toward the store as the sirens began to sound. Their hearts froze like ice and dropped into their stomachs as they both looked up at all the windows, lining the top of the walls around the store. Rachel couldn't move, could barely breath as she felt herself being pulled toward the employee entrance to the store through two large, swinging double doors. Everything was in slow motion and everything sped up simultaneously as they heard the glass start to shatter around them and the screaming was swallowed by what sounded like a train coming straight though the small grocery store.

**Continue?**


	2. I Forget How To Begin It

**A/N For those of you that don't know what the siren sounds like here is a link to what it sounds like. The sirens are still going off in the beginning of this chapter until it states that the wind has died down. **

**http:/www (dot) youtube (dot) com/watch?v=GVz6lEe6s9g**

**A/N 2 When Rachel begins to sing "Without You" have this ready on another tab and click play as she sings. It just adds an eery feeling to the story.  
><strong>

**http:/www (dot) youtube (dot) com/watch?v=Z32vWjJSrvw**

**A/N 3 Also, this fic is named after the song I Should Tell You from RENT. Google it! :)  
><strong>

**Seconds Later...**

Rachel, not wanting to see, closed her eyes and let herself be pulled by Will. She could hear everything and nothing as the loud sound of suction was coming from beyond the double doors as they run from the sound; it was getting closer by the millisecond. An arm wrapped around her middle and dragged her the opposite direction her feet were carrying her and she was soon lifted off her feet being held against Will's solid frame as he half carried her into a small room. She was immediately let go and opened her eyes and only saw Will trying to close the door that was being pushed in by the force of the hundred and seventy mile an hour winds that were trying to keep the door open- trying to suction Will and Rachel out of the tiny cement room.

She scrambled to her feet and put her whole body weight on the door along side of Will. After what seemed like an hour of pushing they had forced the door closed. She felt the familiar pull on her arm as she was pulled down into the corner of the room on the floor. Her head shot up and looked her the man who had just saved her life and she found his eyes calming in this hell. The wind had picked up and she could hear the sound of the store being torn apart around her. Just as she was about to reach for her phone inside her burnt orange purse that had stayed looped around her, a steel metal rod came straight through the cement wall above their heads, causing them to cower down where they were kneeling. As they bent their bodies facing away from the steel beam and into the wall, they heard large objects crash into the roof above them. Rachel screamed and put her hands over her ears as Will wrapped an arm around her while he pressed his torso against her back, shielding her as best he could from the treacherous elements around them.

Even with the whole world coming apart around them Will still couldn't help but inhale her sweet scent. It was different than what it had been that night but it was still her, still just as intoxicating. His indulgence was soon interrupted. A large section of the of the roof atop their room flew off like it was nothing more than a piece of tissue paper; and because they were no longer completed shielded from mother nature's wrath they could here what sounded like a dozen airplanes taking off above them. They could both feel the wind whipping at their backs as they kept their eyes closed hoping to God that the rest of the roof didn't wrench away like the rest had. Rachel saw Will's hand on the blueish-grey cement floor inches from her own and grabbed onto it as a shared look passed through them- they may not make it through this. The sirens, although faint, were still going off and with most of their overhead covering gone they could here it more clear.

Then, the loud roar of wind died down as soft as the waves crashing into the shore. Will was the first to sit up, his back to the wall as he breathed heavily. When he looked at Rachel it was like he just saw a swan drifting down to sit on a calm pond and he smiled at her. His hand reached out and went into her hair which had pieces of drywall and insulation in it and he picked the pieces out. Rachel, not able to make a coherent thought, could only stare blankly ahead in shock of what had just happened.

As sudden as the storm, Rachel's shoulders lurched forward and she openly sobbed; her shaking hands flying to her phone inside her purse. Will pulled her into her arms as she touch dialed numbers into her phone. She was still crying unyielding tears as she tried to gather herself and put the phone to her ear. It went straight to voice mail. She tried what Will could only assume to be a different number and listened for ringing, for anything but there was nothing. She covered her mouth with her hand as Will rubbed her arms up and both, not questioning her just yet. When Rachel was reduced to heartbreaking sobs Will knew that whoever she was trying to get a hold of, was unresponsive.

She broke away from his grip and abruptly stood on her feet, "I have to get home. I have to get out of here and get home."

Her hand went to the door knob as Will called out to her, "Rachel don't. We can't go anywhere yet. We don't know what's out there." He was standing behind her and his hands went back to her arms, trying to stop her.

"I have to get home, I have to get to Evan." She jerked herself free from him again as she took the step needed to get to the door.

Will locked his arms around her upper body and held her firmly against him trying to get her to calm down as she rambled on. "I _have_ to get home. He'll want his juice and he's so small and he- he needs me, he _needs_ me to be there! Let me go!" She was shouted, completely crazed, Will had never seen her like this and he was struggling to hold onto her.

"Rachel! I _can't_ let you go out that door! There could be power lines down or a huge pile of debris outside that door waiting to cave in on us!"

He could feel her shaking again, "No, no! Let me go...let me go..." Rachel became quieter as her legs gave and she began crying again she moved her hands to cover her face.

Will slowly lowered her to the ground and rocked her as he smoothed down her hair. "Shhh, it's okay, Rach. It's going to be okay. We'll get you home and you'll get to Evan." At the sound of the unfamiliar name coming from his own mouth, Will was puzzled. "Rachel, who is Evan?"

Rachel picked her head up off of Will's chest and wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, "He's my son." Her crying had gotten under control as she pulled herself together and up off of the floor.

"You're _son? _When did you...?" He got up off the floor and stared at the young woman looking at the door.

"May 8th of last year, he'll be two this coming May." Her voice was soft and her hands went to her tan knit top, fretting at the ends.

"I-you-you had a _baby?"_ He watched as her head nodded yes. "Who's is he, Rachel?" Fear, anger and hope all flooded into Will's being. "_Rachel!" _

"I thought he was Finn's." Her whispered was louder than any thunder, any wind Will had ever heard.

"You _thought? _You _thought _he was Finn's, huh? So, if you're telling me what I think you're telling me I may have an almost two year old _son_ and that you never told me about. Did you ever think to pick up the phone to call me and say that I may have fathered a _child? _I thought I knew you better than that. I thought you knew _me_ better than that." He began to pace, unable to look at Rachel who had reduced herself to silent tears.

"Please, I can explain," she said through tear brimmed eyes.

"Then by all means-explain." Will leaned up against the wall and crossed his arms and although he was furious he still hoped there was a good reason for her to keep Evan from him.

She took a long unsteady breath and began, "When Finn and I left for New York things were such a mess. I didn't want to end things with him because we had already gotten an apartment together and he had a full time job lined up so I thought I'd give it a shot. We didn't know if we were going to try and get married again after that day in March when Quinn got into that accident but we wanted to try- to see if we could live together. I was so stressed the first month there that I didn't notice I hadn't had my period and it wasn't until mid-October that I finally went to the doctor's."

Her eyes dared to look at Will who was listening intently so she continued on, "Finn and I, we had been _together_ almost every night and we were never careful. We just didn't think about it. So, when I found out about Evan there was almost no doubt in my mind that he was Finn's. There was just no way he could be yours, at least that's what I told myself but when it came down to it, after I found out how far along I was I knew there was maybe a five percent chance that the baby wasn't Finn's; so I had to tell him. That day when he came home from working the graveyard shift I told him, not that it was with you, but I told him that I had cheated on him. He was furious. He told me that he could never hold my hand through my pregnancy if there was the slightest chance that my baby didn't belong to him. So he left. He left with no way of contacting him. He just disappeared."

She stopped talking, remembering the pain she felt when she realized that she was all alone in this big city with a baby on the way. Will spoke, "And?"

"And, after the month was out I knew I had to leave our apartment but thank God for Judy. She was my theater teacher and a saint. She offered her spare room to me in exchange for me to keep her company and cook dinner sometimes. She was there for me through everything. She gave me a place to live. I owe her so much."

"Why didn't you call me when Finn left? I would have helped you." He uncrossed his arms and put them in his pockets.

"And say what? That you have a five percent chance of fathering my baby? I couldn't do that to you, I couldn't give you false hope of potentially having a son or daughter; not after what Terri had done to you. So I waited." Her shoulder was leaning against the door she wanted to desperately to go out of.

"Waited? Waited for what?"

"Waited for my baby to be born. You and Finn, you look nothing alike. I was going to wait and see who my baby looked like. I know it wasn't a perfect plan but I couldn't ask either one of you for a DNA sample; not without giving you false hope and with Finn being M.I.A. So, I waited. And when Evan came out he looked so much like Finn I almost cried. I guess a part of me _did_ hope that he was yours. He has your middle name, you know. He has a lot of things from you. But I didn't notice those things until maybe a month ago. It was like Evan had slowly morphed into a whole new little boy, the once dopey grin he had was now a smug little smile and his brown eyes became hazel and his hair-his hair is mas of curls upon curls." She smiled remembering how darling her little boy looked.

Will couldn't help that his heart was melting and his anger was subsiding. "So you really didn't know." She shook her head. "You thought that he-Evan- was Finn's until a month ago." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes. I've been working up the courage to come here and tell you then _this_ happened and I don't know it-Oh, God, Will we have to get out of here." She was more calm now, the shock wearing off but he knew anything could set her off again.

He went to stand next to her, "How do you know he's mine?"

"I found Finn. Last week at a diner. I told him I needed him to submit to a DNA test and he said he would on one condition." She looked up into hunter green eyes, the same color eyes she had left at her dads' house this afternoon.

"What was the one condition?"

"That he not know the results, no matter the outcome. I got them back two days ago. He's yours, Will." Even though Rachel knew Will would eventually be happy, she was still uncertain of his initial reaction but when he kissed her softly on the lips with his hands cupping her face and whispered _thank you_ into her ear she knew that Will was exactly the man she knew him to be.

He pressed his head against hers, "He's really mine?"

She smiled, "He's really yours."

"And he has my eyes?" The pad of his thumb wiped away a tear that had fallen onto her cheek.

"Yes, and your nose, your laugh, your smile. He's so perfect, Will."

"Then we have to get to him. Stand back." She did as she was told and Will ever so slowly opened the door. Nothing fell in but the sight that lay in front of them could only make them freeze in disbelief. There were beams-everywhere. The pink insulation of the building was scattered through the back room along with various items from the store itself. It gave new meaning to the phrase no one ever cried over spilled milk for it was everywhere and it was already starting to smell. There was a small passage way with only a few large pieces of wood and what looked like a branch from an oak tree that Will and Rachel could possibly walk through.

Will took her hand, "Come here. Do you see that small path between the metal awning and the portion of that wall?" Rachel nodded in response. "Okay, we're going to have to climb over those tree limbs and beams but be careful. If you see a wire _don't_ _touch it_, there could still be electricity in this place and I don't want either one of us to get shocked. I'll go first, watch your hands and make sure you have good footing and be weary of glass."

Will ducked under the hanging rafters and carefully stepped over what looked like a good size sapling resting awkwardly with metal rods. It took a full five minutes to get from the small room to the double doors that had taken them all of two seconds to run down before the tornado hit. Will paused at the store entrance and heard groaning coming from the other side and peeked out of the small, plastic window. What he saw, no one is ever prepared for. There were bodies, dozens with glazed over looks and blood soaked clothing. The store itself had poor excuses for walls, with massive gaping holes in every side. The freezers were turned over, one on top of a person and a few were no where to be seen. The only wall left semi intact was the wall leading to the back of the store and Will could see it was made out of cement blocks like the room he and Rachel had been in.

Will could hear Rachel approaching and didn't want her to see the horrors that awaited them beyond the swinging doors. She had already lost it once and was surprisingly calm; Will didn't want to disrupt that calmness.

"Rachel, I need you to do something for me. Close your eyes. Close your eyes and keep them closed until I tell you to open them." He heard a number of groans and whimpers coming from the other room, people were starting to come to, to feel the extent of their injuries.

"Will, you're scaring me."

"Please, Rachel. Do this for me. Do this for Evan. If you do this we can get to him faster." His eyes were pleading with her; whatever was on the other side of that door Rachel knew was bad, bad enough for Will to not want her to see.

"Fine. If it means getting to Evan faster I'll do anything." She closed her eyes and felt Will's hands gently lift the turquoise accent scarf from her neck. Will tied the scarf securely around her eyes because if he knew Rachel at all, she would open her eyes at the first sound of movement. He opened the doors and gently lead her by the hands out into the demolished store. A man, somewhere near the where the frozen food section once stood was groaning from underneath the deep freeze.

When Rachel heard the noise her head snapped in his direction, "Will, what's that?" Will looked over at the man and wanted to help, really he did but there was nothing he could do for him. He's not a doctor and he would need at least four big guys to help him lift that freezer off of him. As hard as it was, Will kept walking all the while whispering to Rachel that it was nothing and she shouldn't worry.

As they made their way through aisles of corpses, Will tried not to look at faces but couldn't stop himself. He looked down by the overturned coffee aisle and saw his longtime friend, Shannon Beiste lying lifeless on the floor, blood pooling around her careworn face. Will had to stop, had to check her- just to be sure.

"Rach, I'll be right back, just a few feet away. Don't move and don't take off the blindfold." His grip on her loosened as he waited for a response.

"Will, wait. Don't go. I don't want to be left alone. I keep hearing things, things cracking and people... It's bad isn't it?"

He rested his head against her shoulder, "I'll be right back. Sing something, keep your mind busy." As Will retreated and went to kneel beside Shannon. Rachel began to sing _Without You_. He felt for a pulse and found none; looking around he saw a table cloth from where it came, he doesn't know, and covered her body with it. If only he had known she was in here, maybe he could have gotten to her in time and-no. No, Will barely had enough time to get himself and Rachel inside that room before the tornado hit. But still, Will fought with himself thinking there had to have been some way that he could have saved her...But Will had no time to think like that, he had to get to the Berry household. He went back to Rachel and started to sing Roger's part as he guided them to the nearest way out. He passed more neighbors and a few colleagues as he helped Rachel step over the sea of glass and listened to it crack underneath their feet as they continued to sing the well-known duet.

They were almost to an opening beside the automatics doors when he saw them. A mother, in her late twenties, and her son who looked to be about five were huddled underneath the checkout lane. The mother was laying next to her son, her head crushed by the light fixture that had fallen on the back of her head; and her son, wrapped in his mother's arms lay still. Too still. Then Will saw the angle of his head and knew the kid had broken his neck somehow. Fear and panic coursed through his veins as he realized that tornadoes do not take mercy on small children and felt himself tear up at the thought of the son he hadn't even met yet lying in Rachel's arms- both gone. Will urged her onward out of the store with larger steps and once they got outside, Will couldn't believe the devastation that lay out before him; and he took a moment to take it all in before be lifted the scarf from Rachel's eyes.

The parking lot and the streets were littered with shingles and broken pieces of wood and metal sheets from possibly garage doors. The trees around them were uprooted, and twisted, some tossed a few yards away and others, the bigger oaks, were pushed over to lay on their sides like a domino. The town lay in ruins and judging from the path of the twister Will gauged that it may have veered to the left of Rachel's house. He sent up a prayer that he was right and that was the case because whatever this thing hit, it hit hard and left nothing in it's path salvageable.

**One more chapter after this and an epilogue. ****Thank you for your reviews and alerts. I feel so loved! :)**


	3. Let's Just Make This Part Go Faster

**From Where We Left Off...**

"Rachel, I'm going to take your scarf off now but before I do that I need to prepare you," Will said as he went to face her, holding her shoulders, looking intently at her face. She breathed a quiet _okay,_ and Will's calm voice went on. "The buildings around us mostly gone. The trees-they are all uprooted and the streets have pieces of people's homes in them. I'm going to lift the blindfold now but please Rachel, try not to panic."

Rachel could hear her heartbeat in her ears as Will explained the damage to her hometown. She blinked twice at the light that spilled onto her face; Will still stood in front of her, his hands gripping her arms, trying to keep her grounded.

Her fingers touched her lips as her mouth slowly opened in horror at what she saw. There were several cars with full sized trees draped haphazardly on top of their hoods. She whirled around to look back at the store and saw how much of a miracle it was that she and Will had walked out of the pile of metal and wood unharmed. She took in a deep breath, "Okay then," was all she said as she glided to her car like a ghost.

"Rach," he called after her. "Rachel! Where are you going?" He jogged to catch up to her.

"I'm driving home," she said stubbornly.

"You can't _drive_ in this mess. Your tires will be popped within seconds. We're going to have to walk there." She was already reaching for her keys and the beep from the car was his cue that she located them.

"This is the fastest way to get back home, Will. I don't care if I'm driving on bent up rims or four good tires I _am_ getting home." She went to open the door and Will shut it back closed and leaned up against it.

He was going to tell her there was no way in hell they were moving this vehicle but then he saw that crazed look again beginning to surface, "I'll drive. You get in the passenger seat." Rachel let out an agitated sigh and went around the back of the Ford. Then, she heard her name being called by a female voice. She turned to see where the voice was coming from when she saw them. Rachel ran in their direction and called for Will to follow her. The car that they came upon was crushed by a wooden electric pole and looked like it was pushed into a tree by the wind, blocking the driver's side door. Rachel could see a liquid leaking onto the pavement, which by the smell she could only assume it was gas.

Rachel looked inside the windshield and saw two of her former Glee Clubbers trapped inside a deadly metal heap. "Oh my God, Will- It's Santana and Brittany! We have to get them out." She went to try the smashed in door, seeing if it would give but Will's arm shot out and prevented her from going any further.

He whispered, "Rachel, do you smell that? It's gas, leaking from their tank. You're not going anywhere near that car." He went to talk to the girls, "Santana, Britt. Hey it's me." He looked in on them, their faces were cut up pretty bad and they were shaken but they were alright. "I'm going to have to break the windshield to get you both out because your car doors won't open so cover yourselves as best you can-I'm going to find something to break the glass."

"Rachel," called out the dark eyed beauty. "Quinn and Sam are in the back of the car but they're not responding. We think they're unconscious. Can you check on them, please?"

Rachel hurriedly nodded and went to look inside the back window where it looked like a part of a fence had forced its way into the car. She found a small metal rod by her feet and used it to gently break the window. "Quinn, Sam! Can you hear me?" Quinn was still but she could see the rise and fall of her chest then she looked to Sam. Sam. Part of the wrought iron fence had shot through his chest and stopped inches from the driver's seat. Rachel felt like throwing up, felt like screaming but all she could do was stand there and stare. She looked down at the ground and saw the gas puddle getting bigger and leading toward something hissing, no that wasn't the sound. It sounded like an electric razor and as Rachel picked up on this sound she walked toward it where she found a power line down on the grass with the gas trail trickling in it's direction.

She ran up to Will and pulled him away from the car and took him to the black cord that was flinging itself around on the ground. No words were needed and Will went back to the windshield and worked faster. "How's Quinn and Sam?"

"Quinn's alive and I'm going to try and pull her out but Sam...he's..." Will nodded and carefully removed a large portion of glass as he looked over at the power line, dancing like it was a snake and saw how quickly the gas was getting to it.

As Will and Rachel both worked to get their friends out of the car there was another thunder clap as a streak of lightning lit up the grey sky. Rachel grabbed on to the blonde's shoulders who had once been her enemy and tried to lift her out of her seat to no avail. She was stuck. She saw Santana leap off the hood and turned to help Brittany out. Quinn was still buckled in her seat and Rachel would have to either cut the belt off or unbuckle it. Not seeing anything big enough to cut it she cleared out the small pieces of glass left and braced herself on the car before she hoisted herself up into the car, feet still dangling out the window.

The smell of Sam's blood was enough to make her never want to eat again so she tried to ignore it. She could see Will helping get Brittany out but was having trouble then she looked at her leg; it must be broken because it was swollen and all shades of purple and blue. Her fingers clicked the seat belt buckle and thankfully it let go of the the clasp. "San," Rachel called. "Santana!"

Santana came running over to the side of the car as Rachel dragged her feet into the compact car. "What is it?"

Rachel cradled Quinn in her arms and felt for a pulse; it was strong. "San, I need for you to grab her as I lift her out. Can you do that?" She looked past her friend and saw the gas inches away from the power line, buzzing unforgivingly. She nodded and Rachel turned Quinn and lifted her up to Santana. The buzzing seemed to grow louder and become a part of Rachel as she lifted Quinn's feet up and out of the car. There were a series of pops from the distance and Rachel saw a small fire had started, and the line of gas now ablaze with fire was coming straight for the car.

Will had gotten Brittany out and set her down on the pavement when his eyes caught the small blaze in the corner of the parking lot. His eyes searched for Rachel and when he saw Quinn being lifted by Santana, Will knew where Rachel was and raced over to the black Aveo. She was halfway out of the car by the time Will had reached her and lifted her the rest of the way out of the metal heap seconds before he heard the gas tank catch fire. The car, within minutes, was consumed in flames. Will grabbed Brittany and hobbled her over to Rachel's car and set her in the back of the Expedition and Rachel and Santana carried Quinn and put her in the back seat.

While Santana was tending to Brittany, Will stalked over where Rachel was-looking at the ablaze vehicle. "What were you thinking? Don't you _ever _climb into a car like that _ever_ again."

"Will, I had to get her out. She was still breathing, I'd never forgive myself if I let her burn to death." Her arms were wrapped around her waist, holding herself and Will knew the feeling she had experience as he remembered his friend lying inside Al's Grocery.

He reached out and held her to him, "I know. I know you did what you thought was best but when I saw the flames coming closer to the car..." Will stroked her hair as his grip around her tightened. "What do you want to do about them? We can't just leave them here. It looks like another storm is rolling in. Brittany's hurt pretty bad and Quinn's still unconscious."

She let herself lean on him and she caught a whiff of his aftershave, "I don't know. Do you think the hospital was damaged? We could drop them off there, it's on our way to my house. Even if it's damaged they can fly them out to a neighboring town"

Will kissed the top of her head, "That sounds as good a plan as any. Let's get a move on then."

Santana stayed in the back with Brittany, trying to get her through the immense pain she was in and Rachel climbed in back with Quinn, her head in her lap as she played with blond, short hair. Will carefully pulled out of Al's parking lot and got on the road. Everyone in the car looked back at the wreckage and the car, still a fiery blob, with Sam inside it. The only comfort to any of them was that he was already dead, unable to feel anything. No one was able to feel anything.

QQQ

Will couldn't take the silver Expedition any further. They had been lucky, and dodged the debris in the road and left the tires intact. He looked over at Rachel who was sitting quietly in the passenger seat, no doubt thinking a thousand things a second beneath her cool exterior. He saw her hands clasped in her lap and he placed his own over hers.

"Rachel. Honey, we can't go any further. The tree, it's blocking the road." She nodded and kept her gaze ahead of her.

"Then, we'll just have to walk the rest of the way." Her seat belt was off and she was out of the car before Will could say anything to detour her from doing otherwise.

Will sighed, put the car in park and took the keys out of the ignition. She was already a few yards away by the time he fell into step with her, knowing there was no way she was going to see reason with him on trying to find another route. Will had been to Rachel's house a few times when she was a student at McKinley, dropping her off after Glee and various competitions when she couldn't borrow her dads' car, or when Finn was being a dick; so he knew that they were only a few blocks from her childhood home.

"Do you think Quinn will wake up? The nurse that took her away seemed hopeful." Rachel bent down and moved a leafy branch from the sidewalk.

"I think they'll do all they can to help her. What you did for her very admirable. I know what I said was harsh, but I'd do the same. I saw Shannon at Al's, " Will confessed.

"Coach Beiste? Was she...?" The hard set of his jaw told her the answer. "I'm so sorry, Will. I know you guys always ate lunch together and went out on the weekends sometimes. She was a remarkable lady. Such a positive person to be around."

Silence fell over them as a gust of wind blew past them as roof shingles, and pink fluff were lifted into the air. They walked for a block, watching as the change in houses went from bad to worse. Will could see the worry settle on the young woman's face as her pace quickened. They went around a bent up grill that was laying in front of them and Rachel couldn't take the silence anymore.

"Are you mad at me?"

"What?" Will looked at her in disbelief.

"About Evan, are you mad at me for losing out on the first two years of his life?"

"Honestly, I'm kind of in shock. I haven't seen you in years, then the tornado hit, and you told me I have a twenty two month old son then I saw my friend lying dead near coffee filters. So, I haven't really had time to feel. I don't think I can _mad_ at you because you didn't know he was mine. But once we get out of this mess I think I'll have more time to think and I might be mad for a while; but not at you. Mad at the universe I guess for keeping him from me." Silence. "I missed so much. I wish I had been there for you throughout your pregnancy and I wish I had been there for you when he was born. I missed his first words, his first steps..."

Rachel laced her fingers with his and felt so much guilt she thought it would consume her. "There's still so many first to be experience. His first hair cut is coming up and the first time he'll be allowed to eat chocolate. His first day of school and the first time he tells us 'no.'"

He squeezed her hand, "Yeah, I suppose. I plan on being there for everyone one of those... Do you think he'll like me?"

This time it was Rachel to stop their walking as she pulled his hand to halt him. She turned to him and took his other hand in hers. "He'll adore you. You'll be his hero." Her hands ran through his hair and she got choked up because it was like touching her little boy's hair. "So, of course he'll like you."

They began walking again and Rachel reached into her purse, "I have pictures. Do you want to see?" She pulled up the album title _Evan Thomas_ and handed her phone to Will. He took the phone and took a deep breath, readying himself to see pictures of his son for the first time. He started at the beginning of the album and there was Rachel, laying in a hospital bed cradling a small bundle to her chest. He looked at the tiny face and almost laughed, Rachel was right- he did look like Finn. He scrolled over to various pictures of Evan- Evan in a highchair and Evan sleeping and Evan taking a bath.

Then he got to pictures that were dated from last month and once again he saw that Rachel was right. The little boy in the picture looked up at him with olive green eyes, wide as saucers as he came down a slide. His cheeks were red, Will assumed from playing, and he had on a zip up pull over sweater. Will immediately wanted to scoop him up and hold him to his chest and never let him go. More pictures. These were of Evan playing on a rug with with a toy microphone. He must have just had a bath because his hair was damp and frizzy, with the ringlets slowly starting to form and Will's heart stopped because his hair did the same thing.

Rachel saw that he was staring at the picture and said, "Here. Let me show you a video." Her fingers grazed over the keys and pressed play. Will watched as the toddler picked up the microphone and blew into it then gurgled a sound and looked confused as his voice was amplified. Evan cooed and spoke gibberish into the toy and squealed in delight when he heard his own voice. The video stopped when he dropped the microphone onto the carpet and wobbled over to the couch where Rachel was taking the video.

They had both been walking, staring at the tiny screen and didn't realize that they were two houses away from the Berry's. The last video, of Evan playing in flour, had ended and they both looked up and saw where they were. Rachel's house was still standing, but barely with the East side and back of the house torn away. Rachel took off first with Will only inches behind her and rapidly catching up. Her pace slowed as she walked up to where the front door had once been and timidly entered.

Her eyes swept over the living room, pictures were thrown and the glass from the windows coated everything. The drywall was broken in tiny and massive pieces all over the ground floor and the supports holding up the top floor, where her room was, had fallen; one resting against a still intact wall and the other was unaccounted for. The house was a death trap. Rachel could feel the tears burning her eyes and she ran to the basement entrance.

"Evan! Dads!" When she got to the door a light fixture came down and fell behind her but she didn't even flinch. When there was no response she opened the door and called out for her family again. Will heard a strong gust of wind as it came through the house, knocking down more smaller supports and another portion of the wall came down somewhere in the living room. He looked around for a candle or a flashlight as he saw Rachel go down a few stairs. Thankfully, he found one underneath the snack bar, switched it on and followed Rachel down the stairs.

Will shone the light above his head and was grateful he had a flashlight because if he didn't, he would have hit his head on a low beam that had come loose. The once immaculate basement now had tall, thick wooden pillars toppled over throughout the room. He needed to get Rachel, Evan and her dads out of here now. He knew he was no house contractor but he _did_ know that without the pillars holding up the ground floor, two stories would fall into the basement without any warning. He moved the light around and saw Rachel kneeling by one of her dads, Leroy, softly crying. A pillar had fallen onto his back and had pinned him against the fire place. He bent down and put his right arm around her shoulder as she turned her face into the crook of his neck. Will closed the man's eyes and gathered Rachel into his arms and pulled her to her feet. He knew she must be devastated, and tried to sooth her pain as best he could but it was no use.

"Oh my God, Evan...where's Evan?" She didn't lift her head, probably too scared of finding another family member in such a state. Will heard another crash from above and the ceiling above them creak with the new weight. Will was getting more nervous by the second, and took this opportunity to sit Rachel on the bottom step.

"Rachel, don't move from here. I mean it. I'm going to look for Evan and your father." Rachel, still crying and shivering with shock, nodded to acknowledge that she heard him. He started at the back room, thinking if he started farther back and worked his way closer he'd have a shorter distance to run when the place caved in. He went inside the first room and it was untouched, nothing out of place; even the pictures were hung straight on the wall. He did a quick sweep of the room with his flashlight and found no signs of life; and moved onto the second room out of three. This room was nothing like the first but wasn't as bad as the house itself and he stepped cautiously inside. The ceiling had caved in and a few long wooden braces had fallen into the room. Will's gaze went to the floor where there were bright green, red and purple toys scattered around the room and his heart stopped; this must be where Evan plays.

He bent down and picked up a Lightning McQueen car and held it between his fingers and for the first time since this whole mess started he let himself feel. His little boy could be buried underneath those wooden braces and drywall. He could be hurt, and Will's legs started to give. He roughly wiped at his eyes and put the car in his pocket as he balanced the flashlight on a small table and began digging through the ruble, the worries of the room collapsing gone. He moved one board and another and lifted a large piece of plywood to reveal and shaking toddler with his back to the wall clutching a brown stuffed dog to his chest. The relief that Will felt at that moment was indescribable. His chest tightened so hard it was like he was having a heart attack while he breathed the easiest breath he had breathed all day. He sank to his knees in front of his son and reached out to hold him; the wide eyed toddler bit down on his dog's ear and outstretched his arms to Will.

He scooped him up in his arms and held him to his chest and felt him breath against his neck and finally let himself release the tears he had been holding all day. He clung to that little boy and pressed a kiss to his temple and smoothed down his curly hair. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to be holding Evan against him with the tiny child in one piece. He turned to go out the door and another crash came from upstairs; his strides were long and hurried as he approached the staircase.

"Rachel, I found him. He's okay." Rachel leapt to her feet as Will handed over their son and watched her cuddle the lad close to her and showered him with kisses and words of love and reassurance.

"Take Evan and get out of this house, it's going to give any minute and I don't want you two in it when it does. I'll find your dad. Go." By now, Rachel knew better than to argue and went back up the stairs. Once he saw that they were safely at the top he went back to the room where he found Evan. He saw an overturned dresser with shoes sticking out from underneath it. Will put the flashlight back on the table it was on previously, took a big breath and lifted from the knees. The dresser was heavy, made out of real wood and it was difficult to set it upright but he did it. Bending down, he grabbed his wrist and felt for a pulse. Nothing. His hand went to his neck to check there, and got a rhythmic beat. Will let out the breath he didn't know he was holding and looked at the condition the man was in. Hiram Berry seemed alright on the outside but his eyes were closed. Will shook his shoulder and addressed him numerous times until he heard a heavy groan.

After a minute or so Will lifted Rachel's father to his feet, draped his arm around his shoulder and lead him out of the room and down the hall. The stairs were tricky, he had to angle them so there was enough room for them to pass and once they reached the top Will dropped the flashlight and focused on getting Hiram and himself out of the house. Remembering that the ceiling was caving in downstairs, Will was careful when stepping on the floor testing the weight out before he put his and Hiram's weight on it not wanting to fall through the floor into the basement.

"Thank you, William," said Rachel's father as they entered the living room.

"It's an honor, sir."

"You're a good man. Evan's fortunate to have a father like you to look up to." Will was stunned at the man who had come out and said something so bluntly.

"I'm the lucky one," he said as they staggered over the main entrance to the house and into the front lawn. He set Hiram down on the curb and went to Rachel who was standing where her mailbox once was.

Her smile was huge, "You found him."

"I did." Will's hand went to touch Evan's head that had a large goose egg on it. Rachel handed Evan to him and went to hug her dad. Will bounced little Evan on his hip and breathed in the fastly cooling air. He looked at Rachel clutching onto her father and slightly turned away giving them a moment to themselves to grieve over their loss. Will looked into Evan's eyes and smiled at the youngster who smiled back at him and said, "Hi. I'm Evan Thomas."

Will chuckled to himself, "Hi, Evan. Did you know we have the same middle name?" The toddler shook his head and picked at Will's shirt.

"Puppy," the boy said referring to his stuffed dog. Will began to walk toward Rachel and her father.

"What's puppy's name?" Evan looked confused at the question and responded with_, _"Puppy." Will patted his back gently and went to tell Rachel and Hiram his plans for taking them all to Lima Memorial Hospital, just to be safe. The two agreed with his plan and began the fifteen minute walk back to the Ford Expedition, where they would all pile in and drive to get the medical attention they needed.

**So...I lied. There will be another chapter after this one but that's IT I swear! Then the epilogue. BTW, you all have Gleek1990 to thank for the next chapter. She talked me into it. *sighs*  
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	4. I Have Yet To Be In It

**Sorry it's so short but it gets what I wanted to happen, happen. Epilogue after this and then this little story will be done. Thank you for reading this, without you guys I'd just be some crazy chick writing in the dark for no reason but you all give me a reason so that doesn't make me crazy...or does it? Anyways, on with the show!  
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**That Evening**

Will lounged on the stiff hotel comforter as he combed his hair with a fine toothed comb the hotel had provided and watched the news. He had just gotten out of the shower, Rachel insisted on him going first, and was finally able to relax his sore muscles. He rolled over on his side and dropped his hand off the bed to reach into the Target bag on the floor and pulled out a travel-sized can of mousse, sprayed a quarter sized amount onto the palm of his hand and worked it into his hair. Will had just set the comb down when he heard the bathtub begin to drain. Pictures and videos began to come up on the television screen as a reporter talked of the devastation that had struck Lima, Ohio.

A few minutes passed and soon the images that were being displayed were of familiar wreckage. "_Reports on the town of Lima, Ohio can not touch the true severity of the situation. Hospitals have been flooded with tornado victims, whole neighborhoods have been wiped out and businesses have been destroyed." _Just then the bathroom door opened and a very tired looking Rachel and a very clean Evan emerged, wrapped in a white towel.

_"Behind me is what used to be Al's Grocery Store, a local independently owned business that until today served the community of Lima. Forty two people perished within the walls of this business and only four that were pulled from the ruble survived sustaining major injuries..." _The reporter kept talking as the camera panned over the store. Will looked up and saw that Rachel had stopped in the doorway, eyes glued to the TV. Will switched the channel to TBS where a friendly sitcom was playing with a laugh track and Rachel came to sit on the foot of the bed where she unwrapped Evan and began to towel dry his hair.

Will took notice of this, sat up and slid down to them, "Rach, what are you doing to his hair?"

Rachel looked over at him and arched an eyebrow, "I'm drying his hair so his jammies won't get wet. Is there a problem?"

Will smiled and looked down at the naked toddler sitting on half the over sized towel. "No, not at all it's just..."

"Just what?" She stopped the rubbing on Evan's head.

"His hair, it's going to get frizzy and unmanageable in the morning if you create friction like that," he said gently.

"Oh. That explains a lot actually. What should I do?" Rachel smoothed down the portion of her son's hair that she had semi-dried.

"I think you should go shower and try to relax. I've got him." She smiled and kissed the bump on Evan's forehead softly.

"Alright. Here's his pull-up," she dug into one of the Target sacks. "And his jammies. Don't zip it up all the way to the top because he doesn't like that and-"

"Rachel," he cut in. "I've got this, you don't have to do this alone anymore." A moment passed through them and she murmured an _okay_ as she retreated and Will could have sworn he saw her eyes begin to water.

He watched the door close and looked at the freshly bathed Evan. "Alright, Champ. Let's get your hair under control." Before he could tackle the youngster's hair he needed to put on his _Cars_ pull-up. This was something Will had never done before so he set Evan in the middle of the bed, "Stay there. Don't move." He held out his hands in a _stay_ gesture and bent down to search through the Target sacks for the package of Pampers.

His eyes were skimming over the directions and he heard the little boy giggle. Will's head jerked up to find his son standing in the center of the bed with a mischievous grin on his face. "Evan, no!"

"No!" Bantered back the toddler as he began to hop on the bed.

"Evan don't-Did, did you just tell me _no?" _Will let the package drop and reached out to grab the naked boy.

He laughed and shook his head, "Nooo..."

Will sighed, "So it begins." He picked him up and set him on his lap and guided Evan's feet through the leg holes. Will turned him around and double checked that _Lightening McQueen_ was on the front and scooted back to where he was previously and rested his back against the headboard. He repeated the process he did with his own hair earlier and carefully combed, moussed and re-combed the toddler's unruly locks.

"Alright Ev, time to put these on you. You must really like _Lightening McQueen_, huh?" Will snatched up the footie pajamas and unzipped them.

Evan saw the pajamas and pointed at them, "Mckeen! Evan's?"

"Yes, Evan. These are your pajamas. It's time for bed." He took Evan's small leg into his hand and attempted to fish his foot through the thick fabric. When Evan kicked his legs in protest and started squirming and Will wondered if he did this often or if he was just doing this for him.

"Evan, stop it. Let me put your pajamas on..." He tried again to get his left foot into it's proper place.

"No jammies!" Whined Evan as he kicked his legs more forcefully. Will picked him up and placed him on his back on the bed and marveled at how strong this little boy could kick at not even two and a small surge of pride rushed through him.

"Ok, Champ. Here's what's going to happen." He laid over his body and took his small hands in his and kept eye contact. "You are going to let me put these jammies on you so your mother won't be mad with either of us. You're not going to kick me anymore and you're not going to tell me 'no.' Are we clear?"

Will's voice was level and calming and Evan's eyes never left his; and after a few seconds he nodded his head. Will let out a sigh, "Good choice." He had no problem after that getting him dressed. Sitting him up he leaned back into the pillows again and stared at his son, his eyes a medium brown that were fastly changing to a forest green and were slowly closing from the events of the day; catching up to him, his hair slightly messy but controlled that smelled of sweet smelling baby shampoo and his small frame rocking back and forth to an unheard song made Will smile. This little boy in front of him was his son and he already loved him by unmeasurable means. Evan smiled at him then crawled up to sit beside him on the pillows, mimicking Will's posture.

The new dad was unsure of what to do now with the tyke; and he looked over to the roll-a-way crib a hotel worker had brought and thought about trying to get him to bed but he didn't get a chance to act on that for Evan decided to scoot over and lay down between Will's arm and his ribcage. He felt the toddler squirm, trying to get comfortable and snuggle into him. Will looked down at the boy and felt his heart skip a beat when he saw his eye lashes flutter closed and felt his tiny fingers play with his soft shirt. Will had never felt more complete until that moment and felt his own eyes close as he wrapped his arms around his son and drifted off into a light, peaceful sleep.

QQQ

Rachel threw her head back, tousled her hair and put the hair dryer back in it's cradle on the wall. Will was right, she felt so much better after massaging her skin with a lightly scented soaped up loofah. She found a few cuts and multiple bruises but thankfully nothing worried her because the doctor that checked her over at the ER said she sustained no serious injuries. She began combing through her hair with her fingers and her thoughts ran off. She thought about the house she grew up in and how it had surely caved in by now, she thought about all those people an hour away in Lima that lost their lives and their families grieving over them.

She thought about how she was one of those people grieving and an overwhelming feeling of loss came over her at the thought that she would never talk to her dad, Leroy, again. How she would never feel his comforting arms surrounding her and how she would never be able to have both dads walk her down the aisle. Tears spilled onto her cheeks and then she thought of her other father sleeping soundly in a hospital bed five miles away in the town she was staying in. She wiped her eyes with a tissue from the box built into the bathroom counter and focused on all she did have left.

The tornado hadn't touched her home in New York, she still had one parent and most of her friends were okay. She had a perfect little boy who loved her and she had Will, to what extent she didn't know but she still had him in her life and that was a great comfort to Rachel- especially now. She put on her cotton sleep shirt they had purchased while at Target and opened the door into the main room.

Her breath caught in her throat as she looked at her little boy nestled against Will's side. Evan looked so small and innocent next to Will with his mouth slightly hung open and his cheeks flushed caused by the body heat given off by his father. They looked so heartbreakingly perfect that if anyone else were to guess they would assume that the two had been falling asleep like that since Evan was an infant; but that wasn't the case and it tore at Rachel's heart. What would happen now? How was this going to work with Rachel being in another state and Will being here? Would he move to New York? Would he want Rachel to move back home?

She didn't have an answer so she just stared at the pair sleeping so soundly and slid across the bed to stroke Evan's cheek with her index finger. Will must have sensed her looking at them for his eyes slowly opened and eventually focused on Rachel.

"Hey," he whispered.

She smiled, "Hi. Sorry to have awoken you."

Will slowly sat up and adjusted Evan in his arms so he was cradling him against his chest. "No, it's fine. He needs to go in the crib anyways." He carefully got up, as to not disturb the boy, and crossed over to his tiny bed. "You were right," he said as he laid Evan down in the bed. "He is perfect."

Rachel came over to stand by him and adjust the blue and red blanket, "Yeah, he is." A hushed silence fell over the room and the only sound was little Evan breathing heavily; Will and Rachel watched their son as he slept.

Will laced his fingers with hers, "We should talk about this."

Rachel knew what he was referring to, "We should." They both went back to sit on the edge of the bed and paused for a moment gathering themselves for a very serious talk.

"I want to be there for you and Evan."

Rachel knew this already but needed clarification. "I know, but to what extent? We live in New York and we have a life there, I can't ask you to uproot your whole life for us."

Will touched the side of her face and tucked a wavy strand of hair behind her ear. "Rachel, you and Even, you _are_ my whole life. After today, I-so much has changed. This morning I woke up with no purpose but now-now I have a _son._ When I almost lost you two on quite a few occasions today I knew that I couldn't live without either one of you. I love Evan, and I think I could love you, too. So, if you'll have me; I'd like to try to make this work. To give Evan a real shot at a family."

Rachel could barely believe what she just heard; maybe she didn't hear right. "I-what? Will, are you serious? But how?"

"It's simple. The school here needs to be rebuilt and there's no telling when I'd be able to go back to work. I'd have to find another job anyways so it may as well be in New York with my family." Will hoped she would go for this and couldn't think of a reason she would say no but there was always that chance.

"You'd move to New York so you could live near us?" She was smiling and he could see that she was holding back tears.

"Not exactly. I was thinking, if you wanted, that we could get an apartment together. I've already missed so much with Evan and-and I want to be there, be his Dad." He had looked away from Rachel and his gaze went to the crib pushed up against the wall.

"I-I'd love that. But, what about us? Won't it be strange for us to be living together raising a child when we're not together?" Her heart was beating as fast as a humming bird's as she urged with her own eyes for Will to look at her.

When he did, he took her hands in his. "Rach, when I said _family_ I meant the three of us." His grip on her hands loosened, "but if you don't want to try I completely understand..."

"No, no I want to. I'd love to be...be with you, or at least try to be." Her hands held onto his, not wanting him to let go.

"I'd love that, too." Their eyes locked and Will drew her hands to his lips where he kissed each one. "I'm glad that's settled. Once things are settled here we'll go to New York and start looking for an apartment immediately. No family of mine is going to be forced to share a home with someone else, no matter how sweet she may be. And I don't want you working forty hours a week anymore, fifteen hours if you feel you really have to but I'd rather the mother of my child be able to focus on what matters, and not be stressed all the time."

Rachel leaned into Will and rested her head on his shoulder and let a tear slip onto his shirt, "You are _the best_ thing that had ever happened to me, to _us_." She could feel weight being lifted up off her shoulders at the thought that she would have time to sleep, to be a mother to Evan. She lifted her head to look into Will's perfect green eyes, "I don't know what to say."

He pressed his forehead against hers, "Say you'll let me take care of you. Say that you'll let me try to make you happy, and say you'll let me be Evan's dad."

She felt his hands come to the sides of her face, "I'll let you. I'll let you do anything."

Will smiled and whispered, "Good choice," before he brushed his lips against hers. "Sweetheart, don't cry. I'm here for you."

She smiled and gave a small laugh, "I know. That's why I'm crying. You're amazing, Will."

"You're more amazing, Rach." He kissed her again, this time with such strong emotion he thought he might cry. Then as he lowered her down onto the bed he realized he was. Despite the tragic events of the day, despite their pasts and despite all odds this was the happiest that Will had ever been in his entire life. After Rachel's lips were red and swollen from being thoroughly kissed, Will turned down the blankets, flicked off the lamp and let Rachel fall into his arms. As they lay there listening to Evan softly snore both of them knew that this is what they wanted; that this is where they were supposed to be and they couldn't be happier.


	5. Walking Through Fire Without A Burn

**Epilogue  
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**Friday, September 7th 2018**

Will stood outside the Alfred E. Smith public school and waited to see his son, Evan, come through the large double doors. His hands in his pockets, he walked around the bike racks and looked down the street in the direction he lived. Will the knew that he and Rachel were living in what could only be described as a dream. The school that Evan attended was a five minute walk from their apartment. Granted, it wasn't the neighborhood that Rachel wanted to live in but it was safe and in prime location for the best schools and in close proximity to the Frederick Douglass Playground where they took the kids when they were both free. Upper West Side life fit Will and Rachel well; they were happy and were living a life they both deserved.

Will checked his watch and saw they were running late if he wanted to get to the Chabad Early Learning Center before his daughter woke up from her nap. Just then a five year old Evan came running down the pavement, grinning from ear to ear with his backpack jostling about on his back. "Daddy!"

Will gave a smile to match his son's as he knelt down on the pavement and gathered Evan into a bear hug. "Hey Champ! How was your first day of Kindergarten?"

The father rose to his feet and took his miniature's hand in his as Evan began to speak, "Great! Ms. Gates let me be the leader today on our way to lunch and I made a friend-his name is Jake and we sit at the same table with this girl named Sabrina but we don't like her. She kept chasing us at recess but we out ran her because we're really fast and in art class today we made a vase out of clay. We get to paint them next week, do you think Mommy will like a purple vase?"

Just as Will was about to tell his son that yes, Mommy will love it a tall, blond came running up to them, "Evan!"

Will glanced down at Evan and quietly asked if he knew that woman; when he nodded Will guided them over to the young lady.

"Evan, you forgot your permission slip. Hello, you must be Evan's father. I'm Ms. Gates, Evan's teacher." Ms. Gates extended her hand to Will.

"It's very nice to meet you, Ms. Gates. My son seems to be taken with your class, he was just telling me what a fun first day he had. What's the permission slip for?" He took the half sheet of yellow paper from the teacher's hand.

"It's for a field trip backstage at The Gershwin Theatre. I've been trying to get this field trip for years for my class. I believe the arts are very important so each month we will focus on one of the arts. This month it's theater and I think it's important for the children to see a theater up close. It's costing the school a great deal of money but with the grant I will receive soon, it should take care of things." Ms. Gates smoothed out her dress and clasped her hands in front of her.

"The Gershwin is a very good theater, Ms. Gates. I'm surprised they agreed to a tour. My wife works at the Gershwin, maybe I can get her to talk to someone and see if she can get the price reduced." Will folded the paper and began to unzip Evan's backpack to place the slip there.

"Oh? What does your wife do?"

"She took on the role of Elphaba for the season, we're very proud of her-"

"Your wife is Rachel Schuester?" Ms. Gates' eyes widened as they darted from Evan to Will.

Will smiled, "Yes, that would be her. If you would like I could see if she'll come in and perform a number for your class...Ms. Gates? Are you alright?"

The petite blond seemed to come around again, "That would be wonderful! Or better yet, we have a school assembly two weeks from today. It would be a dream come true if your wife could come in and perform at the assembly. You must think I'm crazy. I'm sorry. I had no idea I was teaching Rachel Schuester's son. Wait a minute. That would make you Will Schuester, you have that studio down on Broadway & 92nd across from Petco for kids! My niece loves it there! She's been going since you opened last year. What made you open the studio?"

Will was flattered to be asked so many questions and answered happily, "I used to be a teacher in Ohio and after my run with _Phantom_ I realized how much I missed mentoring kids. I ran the idea by Rachel and she loved the idea of an arts academy for kids twelve and up. At first it was just dance being taught but within a month we expanded to voice and piano lessons and a few more months later we hired an acting coach. It's really grown in just a year and we're thinking about opening another one down in The Village in January. We're very fortunate." Will could feel his son tugging on his arm to go, getting impatient.

"Well, I'm sure things will work out for you. I thought you looked familiar, I saw you in _Phantom_ twice, you were amazing. You and Rachel are both so talented and I'm sure you passed that onto little Evan here. I'd love it if you could come in and do a workshop for my kids but I don't want to ask too much of you."

"I'd be happy to, how's next Friday? Anytime after one would work for me." Will dropped Evan's hand and got out his wallet for his business card.

Ms. Gates gingerly took the small card, "That will work. I can't tell you how grateful I am for your help. I'm sorry I've kept you, I'm sure Evan wants to get home. It was very nice meeting you, Mr. Schuester. I'll see you tomorrow Evan!"

Evan grabbed his dad's hand and jumped down off the curb into the street as they both crossed to the other side. "Daddy, why do so many people know you and Mommy?"

"Well, you know how I took you to see Mommy at the theater? How we sat in seats with lots of other people? Well, a lot of people have seen your mother perform and they like her. Daddy used to have people watch him, too but now Daddy works at the studio, remember? And, because a lot of people like watching your Mommy and me people want their own children taught by us. You'll understand someday." Will scooted Evan into the revolving door of the building. He showed his ID to the office and made his way down the corridor to the third room on the right where his two year old daughter was.

He was greeted by a very cheeky grin covered in graham crackers, "Daddy!" The small brunette dropped her cracker on the tattered napkin and ran up to Will.

"Hi, sweet pea! How was your day?" He picked her up and placed her on his hip.

"Good. I eatin' crackers. Look!" She showed him her fingers.

"So you are. Come on, sweet pea we're running late. Mommy's at home and we're going to have an early dinner before she has to go to the theatre. Go get your things."

"Good afternoon, Will." His daughter's teacher, Ms. Liz, said as she handed him a small plastic bag. "Olivia had an accident before lunch, but that was the only one today."

"Thank you," Will took the bag. "How was she today?"

"For the most part she was good but at circle time she didn't have her listening ears on." The woman handed over Olivia's daily sheet and Will studied it like he did everyday.

"Olivia Schuester, why didn't you eat your lunch today?" The little girl came over struggling with her over-sized backpack. Will took it from her and placed the plastic bag and daily sheet inside.

"'Cause I didn't _like_ it." Her small arms went through the straps as Will helped her put the backpack on.

"Did you _try_ it to know if you liked it?"

"Nooo..." Olivia looked up at her father and smiled, her eyes sparkling.

Will shook his head and picked her up, "Olivia we talked about this. You have to eat while you're at school, sweet pea." Evan opened the door for his dad and baby sister and said _thank you_ to Olivia's teacher.

When Will heard his son thank Ms. Liz he turned back around, "Yes. Thank you Ms. Liz, see you Monday. Come on, Champ. Let's go home."

In the block and a half walk to their fourth floor apartment Will finished talking to Evan about his first day at school and chastised Olivia for not having listening ears and not eating her lunch. He was going to wait to pass sentence on the little girl until he could speak with Rachel. They passed the doorman and Will let Evan hit the buttons on the elevator. Will could smell his wife's pasta dish from the hallway and couldn't wait to sit down and spend time with his family before Rachel had to be at the theatre for Call at five.

The sound of the keys on the end table by the door echoed in the large room, "Honey, we're home!" Will set down Olivia as Rachel came into sight from the kitchen. The sight in front of Will never ceased to amaze him. Rachel stood at the kitchen archway with her hair in a messy bun, stray pieces falling around her face. She wore the matching apron to his with the word _Hers_ written in cursive across her chest. She had a wooden spoon in her right hand that was dripping red sauce onto the hardwood floor and Will laughed as she was bombarded with hugs from Evan and Olivia.

She laughed, "Hello little loves! I missed you today. How's Mommy's little princess?" Rachel embraced the two in a hug as Will walked toward them.

"Ms. Liz said that Olivia didn't have her listening ears on again today and she refused to eat her lunch," tattled Evan.

Rachel looked down at her daughter, "Oh Olivia. That's not good. I think you should go to your room and clean it up a bit until dinner is ready, and stay in your room and don't annoy your brother! He's had a long day at school." She shouted after the two year old.

"What about you, Evan? Did you have a good first day at school?" Rachel gave him another hug and fussed with his hair.

"Yeah! I made a new friend and we're learning lots of stuff! I have to sit in the back and I don't mind because I get to sit by Jake but I can't see real good when Ms. Gates does stuff on the white board. Oh, and next week Daddy is going to come in and teach us some stuff about theater!" The young lad rattled on but all Rachel heard was how her little boy was having trouble seeing.

"Okay, sweetie. Go tidy up your room and wait for dinner. So glad you had a good first day, love you." She kissed him on the cheek which resulted in a, "Aw, Mom!" And he left to clean his room.

"Hey, you." Rachel said as she felt Will's hands on her hips. She looped her arms around his neck, careful not to get him with the spoon covered in red sauce and kissed her husband of two years.

"Hey yourself," Will returned the kiss dipping her slightly which caused Rachel to giggle.

"Will stop it!" He kissed her neck as she batted him away with her small hands. More laughter. "William Thomas Schuester, stop! I have to finish dinner. I leave in an hour." She felt him lightly nip at the sensitive area behind her ear and nearly let him continue.

"Yes, dear. Is there something I can help you with?" He went to grab his apron from the pantry.

"No, that's alright. You've been working all day and I've just been relaxing...Will! Put down the knife, I can do the salad. It will only take me a minute." Rachel knew he was going to cut up the lettuce anyways but at least she tried. They worked in silence for a few minutes cutting up carrots, radishes and tomatoes and adding spices to the homemade sauce while watching the noodles boil.

"Do you think I should take Evan to an optometrist? If he's not able to see the board in class that could affect his grades." She took a clove of garlic and crushed it with her knife before cutting into it.

"I don't know, honey. I don't think it's necessary but if it will make you feel better then I'll ask one of the moms at the studio and see who they recommend." Will dropped the carrots into the bowl along with the lettuce and tomatoes.

"It would. I don't want Evan to fall behind."

"He won't. He's a smart kid, Ms. Gates seems to think so. Speaking of Ms. Gates, could you talk to Don and see if he can get her rate reduced? She's taking Evan's class on a field trip next week to the Gershwin and apparently it costs a great deal of money. She seems like a very nice young lady and who knows; if we do this for her maybe she'll give Evan a little extra attention. It couldn't hurt." Will reached forward and turned down the setting on the noodles before he stirred them.

Rachel slowly stirred the garlic into her sauce , "I don't see why not. Maybe he will if he knows it's our son's class."

"There's one more thing..."

"If you're going to tell me that you signed me up for some bake sale committee then you've got to be out of your mind! I don't have time to bake! Not between the lessons I do at the studio and performing. We barely see each other as it is." She flicked the knob to low on the sauce and peeked into the oven to check on the garlic bread.

Will couldn't help but laugh. "No, that's not it at all. Although I did hear some moms talking about at PTA meeting tomorrow night..." Will handed her two pot holders in order to get the bread out.

"You want to give up our two year anniversary so we can go to a PTA meeting?" She set down the bread and smiled at him, knowing full well he was joking. "But in all seriousness. What else does Ms. Gates want from my husband?"

Will grabbed the strainer from the cabinet and set it in the sink as Rachel went over to the pot of noodles. "She thought it would be nice if you came in and performed at the school assembly. It's two weeks from today."

"Am I going to get swarmed by soccer moms asking for autographs?"

"Most likely." Will piled the bread into a basket, "I hate to break it to you sweetheart, but you're one of those soccer moms." He nudged her shoulder with his own as she stood there watching him.

"I guess you're right. Alright I'll do it. Speaking of two weeks from now; Adam's going to put in his two weeks and we're going to need a new Fiyero. I know how much you miss performing and Mike already manages the dance classes and I'm sure if you ask him nicely and give him a raise he'll happily take over the studio for you; at least for a little while. Please, Will? I may have already said you're really interested..." She served up a small Minnie Mouse plate and began cutting things into small pieces.

"That's not true. You didn't say I was interested, you said I'd do it." Will crossed his arms and leaned back onto the granite counter top.

"Okay, maybe I said you would. But you've been saying we don't spend enough time together and then we'd be on the same schedule so there wouldn't be any of this anymore. Think about it, Will. No more early dinners and when I come home we'd both still be awake and maybe we could get around to some _alone_ time. I miss you, Will." They began to set the table.

"Well, no more rushing through dinner would be nice but what would we do with the kids? We'd both be out of the house at the same time late at night. When we're both teaching at the studio Evan will be in school and Olivia will be at Chabad but late at night what can we do with them? I don't know who would watch them Tuesday through Saturday and during the day on Sunday. Believe me sweetheart, I would love to be your Fiyero but I don't see that happening. The kids need someone to tuck them in at night." Will saw the sadness on his wife's face and sighed.

"Rach, It's not that I don't want to...but if you can find someone we trust to watch them at night then I'll consider it. Would I be finishing out the season?"

"Yes, you'd take Adam's slot. He can't handle the schedule, he's so young and has so little experience." She untied her apron and hung it back into it's place.

"Alright, I'll ask and see if Tina and Mike can watch them a couple nights a week and you can ask Kurt and Blaine if they'll watch them the other nights. I can't make any promises, Rach but for what it's worth; I hope things work out."

"I hope so, too. And if things _do_ work out then you can perform with me at the assembly." They walked down the hallway to Olivia's room.

"As you wish, love. Now, tell me more about this alone time. Will we be getting any alone time tomorrow night?" His hand went to the door with the glittery pink star.

"I hope so. I miss that part of you, of us. It's been so long." She looked up at him and walked into his arms, "I'm so tired, Will. I'm tired but I'm so happy. We have everything we could possibly want. I have the role I was born to play, you have your kids at the studio, we both have a gorgeous apartment and two amazing kids. Olivia is going to the best Jewish childcare center in all of Manhattan and Evan is going to a school that has an emphasis on the arts and they are both less than two blocks away. Will, we're so blessed."

Will held her to his chest and let down her hair so he could massage her head, "Yes my love, we are. So, very, very blessed. I am so thankful that you came back into my life. I don't want to think about what my life would be like without you and the kids."

"I love you." Will never tired of hearing those three words coming from Rachel and he held her closer to him as he kissed the top of her head.

"I love you, too." He released her and looked at his wife and saw the same tired look he saw when Olivia cuddled up to him for her story at night. "Come on, let's get our rugrats and have a nice peaceful dinner of flying pasta, sibling rivalry, and a very chatty two year old."

Will and Rachel opened the door to reveal an even messier room than they had left that morning and their daughter jumping on her new big girl bed with her Snow White costume on, laughing uncontrollably. Rachel touched her hand to her nose to conceal her laughter and Will couldn't stop smiling. Life was chaotic, fast paced and full of surprises but Will wouldn't change a thing.


End file.
